The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-06-09
FLATrERINe FIGURES.
An Immense Improvement Over the
publican PensiOa Policy.

FLATTERlNo FIGURES.
An Immenss Improvement Over the Re-
publican Pension Policy.
The following comparative statement
of the work of the Pension Bureau dur
ing the last two years of the Republic
an rule and the first two years of the
Democratic Administration speaks vol |
umes. The records of the Government |
are, of course, kept by fiscal years, the |
appropriations being made by Congress
in that manner:
In the year ending June 80, 1888,
under the administration of W. w. Dud-
ley, there were 52.279 pension certifi-
were original cases, and the remainder
increase and miscellaneous claims.
For the fiscal year ending June 80,
1884, the total number of certificates
issued was Sc, 729, of which "a, 100 were
original, and the remainder increase
and miscellaneous cases. In the next
fiscal year, up to the 18th of March,
1885, when the present Commissioner
entered upon the duties of his Office,
there were 80, 154 certificates of all
kinds issued. From March II up to
June 80 OF the same year, period OF
only two months and a half, there
were issued 81, 252 pension certificates.
The fiscal year ending June 80,
1886, made splendid showing for
the new administration, there hav-
ing been issued 1864 pension
certificates, 4O,852 of which were
original cases. In that same fiscal
year of 1886 there were also is
sued 1885 supplemental certificates
to widows and dependent relatives
whose pension had been increased by
the act of March 10, 1864 grand
total for that one year of 159, ,643 allow
ances. These supplemental certificates
were issued within a very few months
after the passage of the law, the Com
missioner of Pensions having person
sonally directed how the work should
be done. At no time in the history of
the Office has such an enormous num-
Der of pensions been increased without
interference with the regular work of
the Office, or without call upon Con-
gress for additional help. From the
1st of July, 1886, up to and including
the 30th of April, 1887, there were a.
COS certificates issued, of which 81, ,852
were original cases.
There is yet remaining one month
of the present fiscal year, and the re-
suit will be magnificent showing,
greater by far than any previous year
in the history of the Office. 1t should
be borne in mind that this immense
amount of work has been performed
with reduction of the clerical force
of over 100. With the administration
of the present Commissioner new era
was inaugurated in the Pension Bureau.
He determined to conduct the Office
upon strict business principles, and re-
quired that the entire time of the
clerical force during Office hours should
be devoted to the consideration and
transaction of the public business, and
the settlement of long delayed pension
claims. As one result of this regula-
ton the fiscal year exhibited saving
in the matter of leaves of absence oi
1864 days of the aggregate time oi
the clerical force, or forty-two years.
eleven months and four days of the
time Of single clerk.
In the year of 1886 the present Com
missioner turned over to the treasury
one hundred thousand dollars ($1OO,
O00) of unexpended appropriations OF
account of the hire of clerical force, anG
he effected saving in the same year
in the item of stationery of ovel
thirteen thousand dollars (13,OOO)-
this Notwithstanding the fact that tht
business of the bureau has been very
largely increased.
It was formerly the practice thai
when pension claim had been neg
lected-that is, when the claimant OF
his attorney had failed to call up the
case for certain length of time, t.
mark the case abandoned" and con
slider it in about the same light as re
jected case. The Commissioner re
J versed this unjust practice, and re
quired of his chiefs that all claim
, should be given a chance of being con
sidered and finally adjudicated. Ever,
case filed during his administrator
) has received prompt attention, and hi
order that all cases filed prior to hi
: entry into Office should be examines
I before the 1st of June has already beel
l fully complied with, and there is not
t single case in the pending files of tn
4 office which has not been examined, an
i in which steps have not been taken to
ward its final settlement. To illustrat
t the enormous increase in the busines
$ of the Pension Bureau, during tn
= month of March, 1884, there were re
!. ceived 1898 pieces of mail matter
and there were sent out from the offic
e 141, 1913 circulars and letters. In th
n month of March, 1887, there were re
4 4 ceived 287, 263 pieces of mail matter
n and there were sent out from the offic
h 1888, 142 letters and circulars.
+ The following table will show tn
n number of pension certificates issue
= during the fiscal years ending June 81
g 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, and for the yea
a 1887 up to the 3Oth of April:
}: 1888. 1854. 1885. 1856. lp;a ls,i 8 8
e original. IS, ,1el sa 1eO IS, n 4os5a ss
l. inGieaSS a 4, e,o O., roo "a e,s 90 -o., On ~